Weatherstrip construction



April 30', 1957 H. EDWARDS, sR., ET AL 2,790,214

WEATHERSTRIP CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 10, 1955 INVENTORS HAROLD EDWARID5,S\= y GEORGE H. eoonmon MA mm. fig 3 fig. 70

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WEATHERSTRIP CONSTRUCTION Harold Edwards, Sr., and George H. Goodemote, Syracuse, N. Y., assignors to The 0. M. Edwards Company, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 10, 1955, Serial No. 527,612

3 Claims. (CI. 20-69) This invention relates to Weatherstrip construction for window assemblies, and has particular reference to an improved wear or bearing surface arrangement for Weatherstripping material used in connection with window assemblies having slidably mounted sash.

In window assemblies having one or more movable sash, and particularly when such assemblies are mounted in vehicles such as busses, trains and the like, weatherstripping material is usually provided between the window frame and movable sash to make the assembly as weather tight as possible and also to prevent the sash from rattling. In many vehicular window constructions, the Weatherstripping material is a fabric having a heavy nap or pile, which fabric is generally called Schlegel cloth in the trade. The Schlegel cloth is usually mounted on a suitable metal support which is secured to either the frame or sash member so that the nap or pile on the cloth occupies the clearance space between the members and provides the necessary weather seal and.also prevents the sash from rattling in the frame.

It has been found, however, that if the pile on the Schlegel cloth occupies all of the clearance space between the frame and sash to provide a good seal and prevent rattling as above noted, the sash is difficult to move since the pile offers considerable frictional resistance to the movement and tends to bind the sash.- If, on the other hand, only a portion of the clearance space is occupied by the pile so that the sash moves more easily, the weather seal is not as effective and the bearing surface is reduced making the sash subject to lateral play and cocking. Various modifications of the above-described arrangement have been worked out in an attempt to solve this problem, but most of these have either introduced additional problems or materially increased the expense of the Weatherstripping. For example, solid bearing inserts have heretofore been incorporated in the Weatherstripping material but these have no resiliency and cause the sash to bind if they have a close enough fit to prevent the sash from rattling or cocking.

With the foregoing and other considerations inyiew, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved Weatherstrip construction for window assemblies having movable sash which construction insures an effective weather seal between the window frame and sash, and at the same time permits smooth and easy movement of the sash.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an improved Weatherstrip construction for movable sash window assemblies which permits the sash to be moved smoothly and easily in the window frame and yet provides a good bearing surface for the sash so that rattling, cocking and lateral play of the sashis prevented.

A more specific object of the invention-is to provide an improved Weatherstrip construction for movable sash window assemblies wherein the Weatherstripping. material has incorporated therein resiliently mounted flexible wear able bearingsfiffaces airing sasli nioveinent, the sur faces of said strips being such that frictional resistance to the movement of the sash is reduced to a minimum.

A further important object of the invention is to provide an improved Weatherstrip construction for movable sash windows which can be quickly and easily assembled by unskilled labor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved Weatherstrip construction for movable sash windows which is highly durable and yet is inexpensive to manufacture. 7

Other objects and advantages will becomeapparent from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers refer to the same part in all the views. I

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of window assembly having a movable sash, the elevation being taken from the interior side of the window;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentaryelevation showing the bottom of a Weatherstrip channel embodying the present invention;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 44 of Figure 3; V v

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a vertical section through a sash rail and window frame member showing a modified form of 'the invention;

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse vertical section through the modified Weatherstrip channel shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 8-8 of Figure 7; v

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a wear, strip embodying the invention; and

Figure 10 is an end elevation of the wearstrip shown in Figure 9. i 7

Having reference now to the drawings, which illustrate typical embodiments of the invention for the purpose of disclosure, 15 generally indicates a window assembly comprising a window frame 17 and upper and lower window sash or sash panels 18, 20 mounted in the frame. The upper sash 18 is movable and the lower sash 20 is fixed as is typical in window assemblies for vehicles such as school busses, The window frame 17 includes side rails or stiles 21, a top rail or header 22, and a bottom rail or sill 24.

Upper and lower sash 18, 20 are of substantially conventional sash construction, the upper movable or drop sash comprising laminated sheet glass .25, sash glazing rubber 27 and a supporting frame 28. Frame 28 is guided for vertical sliding movement by means of guide ribs 30 formed integrally with the frame side rails, the ribs being loosely received in channels 31 in the window frame side rails 21. Upper sash 18 may be maintained in any adjusted position by sash locks 32 which coact in a well-known manner with stops (not shown) on the window frame. Lower sash 20 is similar in construction to upper sash 18 and comprises laminated sheet glass 34, glazing rubber 35 and a supporting frame 37. The latter is formed with a flange 38 at its bottom and two sides, and this flange is secured as by screws 40 to the window frame to maintain the lower sash in fixed relation thereto.

The guide ribs 30 are received inchannels 31 with a loose fit, as mentioned hereinabove, since it isimpractical to attempt to obtain a close metal to metal fit that will permit the sash to slide easily without binding and at the same time be weather tight and rattleproof. Accord ingly, a clearance space is left between the ribs and channels, as shown in Figure 2, and this space is'occupied Patented Apr. 30, 1957 by a Weatherstrip member which must serve both as a weather seal and a bearing surface. When the movable sash is guided during movement by a rib and channel arrangement as shown in the drawings, the Weatherstrip member is usually in channel form also but it will be understood that the member could be formed of separate straight pieces or have some other conformation if warranted by the structure of the window assembly.

As indicated in Figures 2 and 5, the Weatherstrip channels 41 are fixed to the sash guide ribs 30, and each comprises a channel shaped metal support 42, the outer surface of which is covered by Schle gel cloth so that the pile 44 on the cloth projects outwardly towards the sides and bottoms of the frame channels 31. However, as noted in the preliminary portion of the specification, if the pile occupies substantially all of the clearance space between the frame and sash so as to provide an effective weather seal and bearing surface, the sash is difficult to move because the pile offers considerable frictional resistance to the movement and tends to bind the sash. The usual practice, therefore, is to eliminate some of the pile either adjacent the sides or bottoms of the channels which facilitates movement of the sash but renders the seal less effective and permits cocking if the pile is removed at the channel bottoms or lateral play and rattling if the pile is removed at the channel sides.

In accordance with the present invention, the weatherstrip channels 41 are provided with wear or bearing strips 45, Figures 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10, which are formed of a suitable smooth surfaced, wear resistant, flexible material. For example, a nylon material has proved to be highly satisfactory for this purpose in actual practice. The wear strips are substantially U-shaped as initially formed, Figures 9 and 10, so that each comprises a back portion 47 and a pair of leg portions 48 respectively extending from the ends of the back portion. The wear strips are assembled in the Weatherstrip channels by respectively passing the leg portions thereof through transverse slots 50 in the channel bottoms, Figure 3, the ends of the leg portions being pointed as indicated at 51 in Figure to facilitate this operation. The back portion 47 of each wear strip is positioned adjacent the outside of the channel bottom and is spaced therefrom by a resilient cushioning means 52 which can be of some material such as sponge rubber or can be the Schlegel cloth pile itself. The leg portions 48 of the wear strip are bent over into overlapping relation on the inside of the channel bottom, Figure 4, and are secured in this position by some means such as a strip of adhesive material 54 which engages the overlying leg portion and adjacent area of the channel bottom.

The wear or hearing strips can be incorporated in the Weatherstrip channels 41 at intervals of any predetermined length, but it has been found that, in a window assembly as shown in Figure l, a satisfactory arrangement is to provide each channel with two wear strips respectively located near the upper and lower corners of the movable sash as indicated by dash lines at 55. Because the wear strips are spaced outwardly from the weatherstrip channel bottoms by the cushioning means 52, they abut against the bottoms of the window frame channels 31 providing good bearing surfaces for the movable sash and greatly reducing the possibility of the sash cocking during movement. At the same time, the wear strips are sufliciently yieldable to eliminate any tendency to bind the sash and the smooth surfaces thereof permit easy sash movement with a minimum of frictional resistance. Since the wear strips 45 enable easy movement of the sash without binding, it ispossible to have the Schlegel cloth pile 44 occupy all of the remaining clearance space between the frame and sash, as shown in Figure 2. This insures an effective weather seal and, since the pile completely fills the spaces between the sides of the respective channels, also prevents lateral play and rattling due to lateral play.

Figure 6 shows a slightly modified form of window assembly wherein the guide 'ribs are formed on the window frame and the guide channels are formed in the sash frame, rather than the reverse relation as shown in Figure 2. Thus, the rib 57 on the window frame 58 is received in the channel 60 in the sash frame 61. With this arrangement, the Weatherstrip channel 62 is still fixed to the sash frame, but the inside of the channel is covered with Schlegel cloth pile 64 rather than the outside so that the pile projects toward and engages the window frame rib 57.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate an alternate form of the invention as applied to the Weatherstrip channel 62. In this form of the invention the channel shaped metal support 65 is completely encased by a layer of resilient material 67 such as rubber, and the Schlegel cloth fabric 68 is secured thereto so that its pile 64 projects from the inside of the channel as shown. The resilient layer 67 is formed with a centrally disposed, longitudinally extending thickened portion or rib 70 on the inside of the channel, and this rib although integrally formed with the layer serves the same function as the cushioning means 52 shown in Figures 4 and 5. In addition, the ear strips 45' bend or mat down the Schlegel cloth pile located beneath the strips, as indicated at 71, and this matted pile also serves to cushion the strips. Thus, when the wear or hearing strips 45 are secured to the weatherstrip channel by a strip of adhesive material 54' as previously described, the resilient rib 70 and matted pile 71 space the back portions of the strips from the channel bottom and hold them in yieldable engagement with the frame ribs to enable the objectives hereinbefore set forth to be carried out.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the invention'disclosed herein provides a novel and highly effective Weatherstrip construction for window assemblies having slidably mounted sash. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The embodiments disclosed are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a window assembly including a metal window frame and a sash assembly movably mounted in said window frame, said sash assembly including a glass panel and a metal sash frame encircling said panel, said window frame and sash frame being formed with coacting guide structure including interengaging channels and ribs to guide said sash assembly during movement, said window assembly also including a Weatherstrip channel interposed between said guide channels and ribs having Weatherstripping pile fabric on the bottom and side walls thereof to engage a portion of said metal guide structure; anti-friction structure to facilitate relative movement between said Weatherstripping pile and the metal guide structure in engagement therewith comprising a plurality of flexible, non-metallic bearing strips each of which is formed with a back portion and \a pair of leg portions extending outwardly from one side of said back portion in angular relation thereto, the bottom of said Weatherstrip channel having a plurality of pairs of holes therethrough at predetermined points along its length, said pairs of leg portions being respectively passed through said pairs of holes to position said back portions over the pile fabric at the bottom of the Weatherstrip channel and said leg portions on the opposite side of the channel bottom, said back portions extending outwardly from said channel bottom a slight distance beyond the pile to engage said metal guide structure and provide flexible anti-friction bearing surfaces therefor, said leg portions of said bearing strips being bent into engagement with the opposite side of said channel bottom, and adhesive means overlying said leg portions and securing them in fixed relation to said channel bottom, the pile positioned beneath said strip back portions forming a resilient cushion between the b ack portions and Weatherstrip channel bottom.

2. Anti-friction structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said bearing strips are made of nylon.

3. In a window assembly including a metal window frame and a sash assembly movably mounted in said window frame, said sash assembly including a glass panel and a metal sash frame encircling said panel, said window frame and sash frame having coacting guide channels and ribs to guide said sash assembly during movement, said window assembly also including separate weatherstrip channels positioned in said guide channels adapted to receive said guide ribs, said Weatherstrip channels having Weatherstripping pile fabric on the bottom and side walls thereof engageable with said metal guide ribs; anti friction structure to facilitate relative movement between said Weatherstripping pile and metal ribs comprising a plurality of flexible, non-metallic bearnig strips, each of said strips being generally U-shaped as formed and having a back portion and a pair of leg portions extending outwardly from said back portion in upstanding angular relation thereto, the bottom of each of said weatherstrip channels having a plurality of pairs of slots theresaid pairs of slots to position said back portions over the pile fabric at the bottom of the Weatherstrip channel, said back portions extending outwardly from said channel bottom a slight distance beyond the pile to engage said metal guide ribs and provide anti-friction bearing surfaces therefor, said leg portions of said bearing strips being bent into flat parallel engagement with the opposite side of said channel bottom, adhesive means overlying said leg portions and securing them in fixed relation to said channel bottom, and resilient cushioning material positioned between said strip back portions and said Weatherstrip channel bottom to space said portions outwardly therefrom and provide a yieldable backing for said back portions.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

